Collaborating with Mexico - POLICY, CONTEXT, OPPORTUNITIES - Universities UK
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Collaborating with
Mexico
POLICY, CONTEXT, OPPORTUNITIES
Contact:
Samanta Bonelli
Policy Officer, Americas
samanta.bonelli@international.ac.uk
Executive summary:
In July 2018 Mexico elected a new President, Andrés Manuel López Obrador,
heralding the most important change in Mexico´s political landscape in the last
50 years. In this context, a UUKi delegation of 11 UK HEIs travelled to Mexico to
better understand the new administration’s emerging agenda for higher
education and to scope potential for strengthening collaboration between UK
and Mexican higher education institutions. The UUKi delegation spent three
days in Mexico City and two days in Queretaro. The delegation was organised
with support from ANUIES (National Association of Universities and Higher
Education Institutions of the Mexican Republic), British Embassy, British
Council and DIT.
This Information Note provides an overview of recent developments,
and opportunities and challenges for UK-Mexico collaboration. An
overview of key funding opportunities and other useful resources
is included at Annexe 1.
Key Action:
For information only.
Audience:
Pro-Vice-Chancellors, Directors International,
International Office staff responsible for
Mexico/Latin America and Research
Office Staff.
Contact detailsUUKi Samanta Bonelli, UUKi Policy Officer (Americas) Tel: +44 (0)7464 928989 Email: samanta.bonelli@international.ac.uk British Embassy, Mexico Dominic Gould, Education Programme and Policy Manager, Prosperity Fund T: +52 (55) 1670 3258 Email: Dominic.gould@fco.gov.uk Department for International Trade, Mexico Julio Evaristo, Head of Education, Health and Life Sciences T: +52 (55) 1670 – 3241 E-mail: julio.evaristo@fco.gov.uk and julio.evaristo@mobile.trade.gov.uk British Council Mexico Rodrigo Bueno, Head of Higher Education T: +52 55 5263 1900 Ext. 1930 E-mail: rodrigo.bueno@britishcouncil.org.mx Mexican Embassy in the UK Rodrigo Meléndrez A., Head of Cooperation Affairs and Education Tel +(44) 207 9079 454 E-mail: rmelendrez@sre.gob.mx ANUIES Jesús López Macedo, General Director, ANUIES E-mail:jesus.lopez@anuies.mx Brenda Elizabeth Galaviz Aragón, International Relations Director, ANUIES E-mail: brenda.galaviz@anuies.mx
INTRODUCTION
A UUKi delegation (25 February-1 March 2019) was
the first outbound visit of UK higher education
institutions to Mexico, since President Andrés Manuel
López Obrador was elected in July 2018. The mission’s
key objectives were to reaffirm links with Mexican
higher education key stakeholders; to better
understand the new administration’s emerging
priorities for higher education; and to underline the
potential for UK-Mexico higher education collaboration
to contribute to Mexico’s national priorities.
The following report aims to share insights from the
delegation. In doing so, it provides an overview of the
Mexican higher education system, policy context and
priorities for reform. It also provides an overview of the
current state of the relationship, identifying challenges
and opportunities for the UK-Mexico higher education
relationship.Mexico Delegation Report 2019
Policy context1 level policy and provides funding to
public higher education institutions.
Mexico has made progress in several development Mexico has high level of public
indicators (education, health and employment) over expenditure on education
the last decade. However, challenges remain in
sustaining progress, while simultaneously improving The current higher education system is
other indicators such as confidence in institutions and complex but lacks diversity by field and
security policies. level of study. Over a third of students
are enrolled in business administration
Mexico ranks above the Latin America and Caribbean and law, and nine out of ten study in
(LAC) average in net secondary enrolment rate (77.2% bachelor´s programmes.
vs. 74,4% in LAC), life expectancy at birth (77.1 years Higher education in Mexico needs
vs. 75.6 years in LAC), maternal mortality ratio (38 per better alignment with changing needs
100,000 live births vs. 74,4 in LAC) and infant of the economy.
mortality rate (11.5 per 1,000 live births vs. 14,7 in
LAC). Mexico’s gross domestic product (GDP) per In 1970/1971 there were around 270,000
capita increased by almost one-and-a-half times students enrolled in 385 campuses across
between 1990 and 2017. Meanwhile, the share of the Mexico. By 2016/2017 this had grown to
population living on less than USD 5.5 a day (2011 approximately 4.4 million students (3.8 million
PPP) decreased from 44% to 33.6% between 2000-14. students in face to face programmes and 0.6
million in distance and online programmes)
Over the same period, the population living on USD 5.5-
13 a day (2011 PPP) increased from 35.5% to 42.8%. across more than 7,000 campuses and close to
38,000 programmes (SEP, 2017). As in other
The National Development Plan 2019-24 published in countries that have seen massification of the
May 20192 forms the basis of the new government’s higher education sector, this expansion mirrors
development agenda. The Plan prioritizes economic the country’s rapid economic development and
and social development (with an emphasis on responds to the needs of a growing middle
infrastructure, anti-corruption and poverty reduction), class. At the tertiary level, the gross enrolment
promote local development and improve social ratio of university-age students has risen
services, including health and access to education. significantly from 15% in 1991 to approximately
31.2% 2016. Nonetheless, it lags behind the
regional average (46% in 2010) by a large
margin.
Higher education system overview
With 13 subsystems3 the Mexican higher
Key points
education system is highly complex and diverse.
The subsystems differ considerably in terms of
The Mexico higher education system is large
institutions, programmes, governance
and diverse and has undergone rapid growth
structures, funding arrangements, government
over recent decades.
dependence and teaching and research
Higher education provision: public and free intensity and quality.
institutions remain the largest providers, but
there has been an important increase (more All but two of the subsystems consist of public
than 600,000 students) in private higher higher education institutions, with varying
education provision in the last 10 years. degrees of government dependence. The
In terms of higher education governance, remaining two subsystems are private and
states are responsible for implementing completely independent from the government.
higher education policies and for curricular The primary distinction between institutions in
developments, while SEP designs national the public subsystems is their level of autonomy.
Note
1
OECD, 2019. Latin American Economic Outlook 2019: 3 State public universities, federal public universities,
Development in Transition. federal institutes of technology, decentralised institutes of
http://www.oecd.org/dev/americas/Mexico-Country-Note-Leo- technology, technological universities, polytechnic
2019.pdf universities, teacher education colleges (public), state
2 public universities with solidarity support, intercultural
National Development Plan 2019-2024. Available at:
universities, public research centres, other public higher
https://lopezobrador.org.mx/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/PLAN-
education institutions, private universities, teacher
NACIONAL-DE-DESARROLLO-2019-2024.pdf
education colleges (private).Mexico Delegation Report 2019
While federal and state universities depend on the schools belonging to the umbrella institution of
government for public funding, they have the the Instituto Nacional de Bellas Artes, and
autonomy to make most of their own decisions. The institutions of the armed forces.
remaining seven subsystems4 are comprised of
institutions that act as decentralised government Subsistema de Instituciones Particulares
agencies under control of the Secretariat of Public (Private Institution Subsystem): This system
Education (SEP). includes approximately 2,100 private higher
education institutions whose programmes of
study are supervised by either federal or state
Types of Higher Education Institutions ministries, or by public autonomous universities.
Private institutions of higher education offer all
Subsistema de Universidades Públicas (Public types of degrees in all disciplines. Programmes
Universities Subsystem): This system includes 61 with official validity at private institutions of
federal and state universities. These institutions have higher education are incorporated under a
autonomy over management, budgeting, and public autonomous university or are recognised
curricular content. They may also incorporate, and by the SEP or the relevant state department of
therefore bestow official validity on, programmes education (Degrees from incorporated
offered at private institutions. The largest such programmes are issued by the incorporating
university, the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de autonomous university; however, transcripts
Mexico (UNAM) enrolled 234,501 tertiary-level may be issued by the private institution.)
students in 2015-2016.
Public institutions remain the largest provider of
Non-autonomous federal institutions under the higher education in Mexico, enrolling 70,69
purview of the SEP or other ministries must follow percent of the 3.6 million students in the tertiary
study requirements determined by the state. Titles and system as of 2015-2016. Like other Latin
transcripts are issued or endorsed by the controlling American countries, however, Mexico has seen
governmental body. a huge increase in the demand for tertiary
education, and a concomitant rise in the number
Subsistema de Educación Tecnológica (Technological of private universities, especially in the last two
Education Subsystem): Research-based science and decades, seeking to fulfil that demand. As of
technology institutions include 39 polytechnic 2016, the private sector now enrols just over
universities and 218 technological institutes offering one million students, up from 400,000 in 2006.
university degrees in engineering and applied Quality in the private higher education sector is
sciences. These institutions tend to be very radically uneven, with a handful of “Ivy League”
specialised, offering programmes in just a few fields of type schools obtaining prestige and respect, and
study. a substantial cohort of newer schools seeking to
absorb demand without much regard for either
Subsistema de Universidades Tecnológicas academic standards or student outcomes.
(Technological University Subsystem): This system
includes 61 institutions administered by state All programmes at private institutions must have
authorities and authorised by guidelines established official recognition status. Validez Oficial de
by the SEP. Institutions in the technological university Estudios (Official Validity of Studies) serves as
subsystem offer two-year technical degree programs the basic indicator of governmental and
incorporating on-the-job training in applied disciplines. professional approval of higher education
programmes. However, the quality assurance
Subsistema de Educación Normal (Teacher Training system is voluntary, complex and fragmented; it
Subsystem): Institutions in the system offer BA degree lacks transparency and coherence and is costly.
programs for all types and levels of teacher training. Currently, less than half of undergraduates are
enrolled in evaluated or accredited
Subsistema de Otras Instituciones Públicas (Other programmes. Mexico´s main policy lever to
Public Institutions Subsystem): This system includes increase quality reaches only public institutions,
116 specialised institutions of higher education which account for 70% of students but less than
including the Instituto de Antropología e Historia, one third of the 3,762 institutions in the country.
Note
4 Teacher education colleges, public research centres, universities, decentralised institutes of technology, and
federal institutes of technology.
intercultural universities, polytechnic universities, technologicalMexico Delegation Report 2019
The federal and state governments share responsibility average). Natural sciences, mathematics and
for the governance, regulation and co-ordination of statistics, as well as information and
higher education in Mexico. SEP designs and communication technologies have low shares of
implement national policy, sets education standards, entrants in Mexico (3.1% and 1.9% respectively),
provides funding to all type of public higher education well below the OECD average (6.5% and 4.6%).
institutions (82% of all public higher education funding (OECD, 2018).
comes from federal sources5) and coordinates the two
levels of government (state and federal) in planning Almost half of Mexican employers report a lack
higher education6. State secretaries of education are of skills in their sector and consider the
responsible for implementing higher education policies education and training of applicants as unsuited
at a state level and usually curricular requirements fall to their needs. Raising the relevance and
to state education departments. outcomes of higher education requires a
strategic vision for higher education, a whole of
government approach and the involvement of
The OECD in 2016 reported that public expenditure on
the entire higher education system.
education institutions as a percentage of GDP (for all
educational levels combined) was at 6.2%, above the
OECD average of 4.5%. Of Mexico's total education New government priorities for higher education
expenditure, 21 % is spent on HE. Private funding at
around 0.9% accounts for a higher share of 1.Universal admission to universities
expenditure than the OECD average of 0.8%, an
indication that demand is outpacing provision in Andrés Manuel López Obrador promised during
Mexico. This has given rise to year-on-year growth in his campaign that the new government would
the private education sector at all levels of education, offer universal admission to higher education. In
but particularly at the tertiary level where entry into the order to do this, the new administration has
top public institutions is highly competitive. In higher developed comprehensive and ambitious
education, 58 % of HEIs are privately-operated but scholarship programmes for higher education
these tend to be smaller than public institutions and students from low income families. Selected
account for only a minority of total student numbers. students will receive a monthly scholarship to
support their studies (“Young People Writing the
Future” programme).
In 2015-2016, students in Mexican higher education
were enrolled in: Alongside this, “Universities for the Wellbeing
Benito Juárez García” aims to develop 100
89% ISCED level 6 programmes (licenciatura) higher education institutions in Mexico’s poorest
(61% OECD average) regions, likely by building on existing institutions
4.5% in ISCED level 5 short cycled programmes and organisations. In doing so, the Government
(técnico superior universitario and professional aims to make available an additional 32,000
asociado) (20.4% OECD average) places for higher education students. Selected
5.9% in ISCED level 7 programmes students will receive a monthly scholarship of
(especialización and maestría) (16% OECD around 2,400 Mexican pesos (approximately
average), £100). Given their high population density, and
less than 1% in ISCED level 8 doctoral minimal higher education capacity, the following
programmes (doctorado) (2.4% OECD average). areas are likely to be prioritised: Oaxaca (11
(OECD, 2017) schools), Ciudad de México (10), Veracruz (8),
Chiapas and Guanajuato (6).
The two most popular fields of study are law and
business administration, with 35% of new entrants, 2. Increasing access to education for young
and engineering, manufacturing and construction people who do not work or study and for the
(24.4%) which are well above the OECD average indigenous population
(23.3% and 16.5% respectively). Programmes in health
and welfare are also common (10.1% vs 13% OECD
Note
5 6
OECD, 2017. Education at Glance 2017: OECD Indicators. OECD, 2019.Higher Education in Mexico. Labour
OECD Publishing, Paris. https://www.oecd- Market Relevance and Outcomes. https://read.oecd-
ilibrary.org/education/education-at-a-glance-2017_eag-2017-en ilibrary.org/education/higher-education-in-
mexico_9789264309432-en#page106Mexico Delegation Report 2019
The new administration has clearly stated that they will The present state of UK-Mexico collaborations:
be looking to focus their interventions on the most opportunities and challenges
disadvantaged populations: young people who do not
work or study and indigenous population. One of the Mexico and the UK have long-standing
main government policies will be “Young People collaboration links in higher education,
Building the Future”7.This will aim to train thousands of particularly through research collaboration and
young people aged 18-29 years old to work. The student mobility. The following section describes
Mexican government will provide a monthly stipend of the current relationship and highlights some of
3,600 Mexican pesos (around £150) during a year for the main challenges and opportunities for future
work training. This will be an opportunity for collaboration.
companies, public institutions and social organisations General context
to train young people to develop their skills and start
their work life. Alongside this, the Mexican government In the context of political change, Mexico-US
has a target of achieving a 22% gross enrolment rate bilateral relations are increasingly tense. Mexico
for students from households in the four lowest income has been trying to diversify away from its
categories by 2024, with special attention to the reliance on the US since Donald Trump took
indigenous population. office in January 2017. In this context, the UK
government is aiming to strengthen its
relationship with Mexico, and, across the
3.Higher education alignment with the labour market Prosperity Fund programme8, the International
Climate Finance programmes and the
The new government intends to develop a national
Chevening scholarship programme will invest
strategy to ensure higher education is aligned with
around £126m in Mexico in the next four years.
labour market needs as well as with the government
development and growth strategy.
UK companies are also exporting/investing in oil
and gas, renewables, public transport and
4.Decreasing regional inequalities and strengthening security. Financial services are expanding and
local government capacities, with a focus on states there are new opportunities in education,
from the south east. renewables and cyber.
There are important gaps between Mexican states in A strengthened bilateral relationship presents
terms of access and quality of HE. While the south- opportunities for the UK-Mexico HE relationship.
eastern region has a 28.5% higher education The Newton Fund has been an important
coverage, this percentage increases to 97.5% in the international research and innovation
Metropolitan Region. The previous government set a cooperation tool, with £74 million pounds
goal of 40% HE coverage. 9 federal states have invested by Mexico and the UK until 2021.
reached the goal - Ciudad de México (97.5%), Sinaloa
(53%), Nuevo León (48.4%), Puebla (44.8%), An Agreement on the Mutual Recognition of
Aguascalientes (44.4%), Querétaro (41.8%), Colima Higher Education awards, titles, diplomas and
(41.6%), Sonora (41.3%) y Nayarit (40.8%) - while 7 of academic degrees9 was also signed in 2015, in
them are below 30% (Oaxaca (19.7%), Guerrero the context of the Mexico-UK dual year.
(21.5%), Chiapas (21.8%), Michoacán (27.5%), Currently, the British Council in Mexico is
Tlaxcala (28.7%), Quintana Roo (28.9%) y Guanajuato working with SEP on the latest version of the
(29.1%). The Government’s plans to install 100 new agreements Annexes, in particular on amending
universities all over the country, will also address Annex 5, which describes Mexico’s process for
regional capacity issues. recognition.
Note
7
For more information: 9 Available at:
https://jovenesconstruyendoelfuturo.stps.gob.mx/ https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/cs-mexico-
no12015-ukmexico-mutual-recognition-of-higher-
8For more information:
education-awards
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/prosperity-fund-fco-
programme-summaries-countriesMexico Delegation Report 2019
Language skills Each region and each state in the country has its
comparative advantages and strategic areas for
Language skills are required to develop and increase development:
collaboration between two higher education systems.
Currently, not many UK students are enrolled in -Agrobusiness, ICT, Tourism and Mining in the
language courses while there is a lack of courses Northwest (Baja California, Baja California Sur,
taught in English offered in Mexico. Sonora, Sinaloa, Chihuahua)
Increasing English language proficiency, including
through improved English language provision at -Agribusiness, Renewable Energy and /
Mexican schools and opportunities for Mexican Hydrocarbons, Automotive and Auto-parts in the
students to travel to the UK to learn English, is a high Northeast (San Luis Potosí, Zacatecas, Nuevo
priority for the new administration. More widely, there León, Durango, Tamaulipas)
is a shortage of teachers being trained at the moment
in Mexico and an interest in curriculum development -Agribusiness, ICT and Creative Industries,
and pedagogy. In this context, there may be Pharmaceutical and Health in the West Center
opportunities for UK universities to ‘train the trainers’, (Aguascalientes, Guanajuato, Michoacán,
to provide trainee teachers (e.g. BA English Language Nayarit, Jalisco, Colima)
Training) as paid English Language assistants/interns
in schools, Colleges and Universities and/or to develop -Water, Wastes, Agri-food, Automotive, Health, R
visiting professor programmes to teach in English at & D & I in the Metropolitan Area
different academic levels.
-Automotive and Transportation, Textiles and
Opportunities at state level Clothing, Agro-biotechnology, R & D + I in the
South-Central Region (Queretaro, Hidalgo,
There is potential value of working at state level, in Guerrero, Puebla, Tlaxcala, Morelos)
coordination with national authorities. Mexican states
have expressed significant interest in building -Agribusiness, Renewable Energy, Alternative
partnerships aimed at strengthening the higher and Sustainable Tourism in the South east
education offer at a local level as well as collaboration (Campeche, Chiapas, Quintana Roo, Oaxaca,
with local industries. Institutions should start thinking Tabasco, Veracruz, Yucatán).
about engaging with state governments, states
autonomous universities or existing networks of States from the South East of the country are
universities at a local level. being highly prioritised by the federal
government.
During the mission, UK delegates had the opportunity
to visit Queretaro State, located in the South-Central Note: For more information on State opportunities for
Region of the country, with a GDP income mainly based collaboration see Annex 1.
on the manufacturing industries. There they had the
opportunity to learn about the State’s Triple Helix Finally, there is a strong appetite for increased
initiative, an interesting model aimed at linking collaboration in both countries. This was
universities, government and industries needs and evidenced by the attendance of over 60 Mexican
resources. institutions at a networking day organised by
ANUIES, National Association of Universities and
Higher Education Institutions of the Mexican
Republic10, in the context of the UUKi
delegation.
Note
10 ANUIES is the National Association of Universities and Higher indicators performance to decide whether the institution
may join the Association. These include: Institutional
Education Institutions, a non-governmental organisation that
development plan, educational and academic model,
convenes 195 Mexican institutions: public, private and research
Infrastructure, evidence of other national or international
centres covering approximately 70% of the total student
accreditations, minimum requirements established by
enrolment in Mexico. ANUIES institutions account for 90% of the
PRODEP for full-time professors, 75% of the enrolment in
total research, development and innovation in Mexico10. Mexican
quality programs recognized by the Secretariat of Public
institutions willing to become ANUIES members must go thought
Education (SEP) and 25% of postgraduate programs
an admission procedure of two stages: the first corresponds to
registered at the Postgraduate Quality Program of the
the Executive General Secretariat (SGE) that reviews the
National Council of Science and Technology (CONACYT)
applicant institution legal conditions, and the second to the
regional councils. Regional Councils evaluate several academicMexico Delegation Report 2019
A survey of 27 of those institutions attending the event CONACyT is the main source of Government
identified the following partnership priorities: funding for Mexican students studying overseas.
Between 2014-2017, a total of 8,336
55% of respondents (15 institutions) have scholarships were awarded by CONACyT, with
existing links with UK higher education 27% of scholars choosing the UK.
institutions, most of them related to joint
research projects, student exchange While there is growing demand for higher
initiatives and dual degrees. education in Mexico, there is currently
In terms of future priorities for partnership uncertainty over CONACyT’s future budget and
development, Mexican institutions mentioned priorities. However, a new administration
student and staff mobility, joint research, represents an opportunity for UK institutions not
double degrees, English language training as currently eligible to receive CONACyT funded
key priority areas. scholars to underline their excellence.
92% of respondents (25 institutions) said they Cost and inability to work whilst studying are the
were interested in establishing teaching and two of the main perceived barriers to studying in
learning partnerships, or transnational the UK by Mexican students. Also, differences in
education (TNE) partnerships. fees policies between Mexico and the UK may
hinder student mobility. Public universities in
Mexico are free, while international students
Among those 25 institutions that expressed studying in the UK do not get access to student
interest in TNE partnerships, in terms of types loans and face higher tuition fees.
of TNE provision, half of them said their
interest was focused mainly on dual/multiple However, in Mexican institutions there is strong
degrees (when an award is given separately by interest in increasing staff and student mobility,
two or more institutions), 37% in distance, with a focus on short term and two-way mobility
online and/or blended learning, and 13% in schemes. Asymmetric mobility schemes (short
articulation agreements. mobility from UK with long term mobility from
Mexico) were suggested by Mexican institutions
44% of the institutions surveyed indicated during the delegation as a way of increasing
some challenges in partnering with the UK. mobility in both ways.
These included: financial costs for students,
and the difficulties of getting a UK university The number of international students who view
to sign an agreement for student mobility that Mexico as a potential education destination is
doesn’t require students to pay tuition fees. relatively small. According to UIS UNESCO data
published in early 2016, only 7,166 foreign
Mobility and student recruitment students opted to study in Mexico. Top senders
included the United States, Spain, Brazil, Cuba,
Roughly 1% of Mexican higher education students and France. Countries like China, Japan and
participate in an international mobility programme11, Peru appear for the 2015/2016 academic year
with most students going to Spain, followed by the US among the top 10 sender countries12.
and Colombia. However, for the 2015/2016 academic
year, the United States was the top destination for The UK has very low rates of student
Mexican students. engagement in outward student mobility,
relative to other Western countries. This has
The number of Mexican students in the UK has been attributed to anxieties about language,
increased in the last five years, mainly at a fear of isolation, lack of knowledge of available
postgraduate level. In 2017/2018 there were 1,945 opportunities, fear of disruption of domestic
Mexican students in the UK, with the majority receiving academic schedules, as well as worries about
government funding (HESA, 2019).
Note
11 12
Patlani 2014/15-2015/16. Mexican survey of International Patlani 2014/15-2015/16. Mexican survey of
student mobility International student mobility
http://patlani.anuies.mx/archivos/documentos/PATLANI2017_we http://patlani.anuies.mx/archivos/documentos/PATLANI2
b_optimizado.pdf 017_web_optimizado.pdfMexico Delegation Report 2019
retaining access to student accommodation13. In the collaborative research with Mexican institutions,
case of Mexico, security and safety concerns are and joint supervision of doctoral students may
important to any new entrant. Just 240 UK students be an opportunity to develop new partnerships.
undertaking a mobility experience as part of their
course went to Mexico in 2017-2018 (most of them at TNE
undergraduate level). The Mexican government as well
as many HEIs highlighted the need for increasingly Transnational education students in Mexico
more reciprocal/ two-way mobility schemes. studying for UK degrees increased by 179% from
2013-14 to 2016-17, albeit from a low base; in
There are funding opportunities available (e.g. such as 2016-17 there were 740 UK HE TNE students.
AMEXCID scholarships14) to increase UK outward Mexico now has the fifth highest number of UK
student mobility to Mexico, in the context of the UK’s HE TNE students across North, South and
strategic commitment to double the number of UK Central America, and the highest volume by
students studying, working or volunteering overseas as student numbers of all non-English speaking
part of their UK degree by 2020. However, in 2018, no countries in the Americas. Slightly more TNE
UK student applied for this opportunity mainly because students are postgraduate (52%) compared to
of application timing complexities. undergraduate in Mexico (48%), and most study
through distance, flexible or blended modes.
Research collaboration
As stated above, the Mexican higher education
Evidence shows that research collaboration with UK system has undergone rapid growth over recent
HEIs increases the impact of Mexican-led research. decades. TNE is considered an efficient way of
The international average FWCI for Mexico is 0.90, and absorbing the increasing demand for higher
the FWCI of co-authored papers with UK authors is education in Mexico. Because of regulatory
4.21 (Scival, 2018). constraints, throughout the delegation, dual
degrees were highlighted as the form of TNE
In terms of the number of co-authored papers, the UK where there was most potential to develop new
is Mexico’s 4th most frequent collaborator globally and collaborations. Mexican higher education
3rd in Europe (after Spain and France) with 1,528 co- institutions also stated an interest interested in
authored publications by Mexico and the UK (with 10 exploring online and/or blended formats.
or less co-authors) between 2015-2017. The most
significant research areas were Physics and
Astronomy, Medicine, Agricultural and Biological Looking ahead
Science, Earth and Planetary Sciences, Biochemistry, The UUKi delegation identified significant
Genetics and Molecular Biology, Engineering. demand for collaboration with the UK among
Mexican partners. UUKi will work together with
UK HEIs can contribute to the new administration’s key stakeholders in ANUIES, the British Council,
development goals though high-quality research in the Department for International Trade and the
partnership with Mexican HEIs. There are existing, British Embassy to facilitate and promote this
successful schemes to support research partnerships collaboration by increasing understanding of the
and strengthen UK collaborative research relationship Mexican system, and changing political context
with Mexico, such as the Newton Fund and the Global among UK universities, and promoting and
Challenges Research Fund. The main Newton Fund disseminating new and existing sources of
areas for collaboration in Mexico are: Future cities, funding. Specifically, UUKi will work with
Agri-tech, Social innovation, Health/nutrition and partners to:
Energy. By 2021 more than £30 million will be invested
in Mexico thought the Newton Fund. 1. Provide better information, advice and
guidance on Mexican higher education
Co-tutored PhDs were mentioned during the delegation system opportunities at a national and
as a way of increasing research collaboration between local level, and partnership priorities,
the two systems. There is a huge potential for including industrial links.
Note
13
Source: 14 For more information:
https://www.britishcouncil.org/education/ihe/knowledge- https://www.gob.mx/amexcid/acciones-y-
centre/student-mobility/report-student-perspectives-going- programas/becas-y-cursos-de-cooperacion-academica
internationalMexico Delegation Report 2019 2. Renew the relationship with CONACyT, UK students benefited from funding to including updates on changing funding study abroad in Mexico. priorities and priorities for collaboration. 3. Inform the UK higher education sector on Individual delegates are likely to follow up with emerging opportunities under the UK potential partners on a range of bilateral and Government Sills for Prosperity Programme collaborative activities during the delegation. 4. Work with AMEXCID to increase awareness of existing opportunities for outbound UK student and staff and to grow the number of
Mexico Delegation Report 2019
ANNEXES
Annex 1 Key sources for collaboration Mexican states strategic areas for collaboration
and contact details:
Mexico sources of funding Baja California
Baja California Sur
Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología (CONACYT).
It formulates and finances scholarship and support Sonora
programmes for the training of scientific and Sinaloa
technological capital. https://www.conacyt.gob.mx/ Chihuahua
15 San Luis Potosí
Zacatecas
Fondo para el Desarrollo de Recursos Humanos Nuevo León
(FIDERH) – Bank of Mexico. Federal trust administered Durango
by the Bank of Mexico for more than 40 years. Funds Tamaulipas
postgraduate Mexican students. Coahuila
http://www.fiderh.org.mx/index.html Aguascalientes
Guanajuato
Fundación Mexicana Para la Educación, la Tecnología
Michoacán
y la Ciencia (FUNED). Non-profit organisation founded
Nayarit
in 1993 by Mexican businessmen. In the last 25 years
FUNED supported more than 5000 Mexicans to study Jalisco
abroad through strategic alliances with the Colima
government, universities and other international and Estado de Mexico
private organisations. http://www.funedmx.org/ Querétaro
Hidalgo
Coordinación Nacional de Becas de Educación Guerrero
Superior (CNBES). Belongs to the Ministry of Public Puebla
Education and is the entity responsible for the granting Tlaxcala
and administration of the National Scholarship Morelos
Program for students who are enrolled in the Bachelor Campeche
or Higher Technical University (TSU) level in Public Chiapas
Institutions of Higher Education (IPES)
Quintana Roo
https://www.becaseducacionsuperior.sep.gob.mx/#
Oaxaca
Agencia Mexicana de Cooperación Internacional para Tabasco
el Desarrollo (AMEXCID). It has an offer of scholarships Veracruz
and academic exchange programmes for students, Yucatán
teachers, researchers and foreign experts, aimed at
contributing to facilitate the training of the leaders who Mexican states International academic mobility
will build the future. opportunities for the UK (state/level and/or
https://www.gob.mx/amexcid/acciones-y- type of study:
programas/becas-y-cursos-de-cooperacion-academica Aguascalientes, short training
mobility schemes
Baja California, undergraduate,
professional practices and research
exchange
Note
15 1%2Fconvocatorias-abiertas-becas-al-
For information on 2019 calls:
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Qk%3D&reserved=0Mexico Delegation Report 2019
Mexico State, support for scientific research promote the exchange of Mexican researchers
exchange to the UK, and British researchers to Mexico, in
Guanajuato, support for international mobility priority areas for Mexico.
Hidalgo, short research mobility
Michoacán, postgraduate mobility Research: collaborations between Mexican and
Morelos, support for international mobility British researchers to generate high-level impact
information for common issues.
Nuevo León, academic exchange
Puebla, postgraduate mobility
Translation: to promote partnerships that
Queretaro, international mobility develop innovative solutions to current
Yucatan, international mobility agreements problems. This pillar promotes the link between
Zacateas, masters and PhD in science, industry, academia and government; science
innovation and technology commercialisation; technology transfer; and, the
training of public officials to manage innovation.
UNAM-UK, Centre for Mexican Studies For more information
http://www.newtonfund.ac.uk/about/about-
The Centre for Mexican Studies in the United Kingdom partnering-countries/Mexico/
is an academic outpost of the National Autonomous
University of Mexico (UNAM), hosted by King’s College Chevening Scholarships. Chevening is the UK
London. It was created in March 2015, in the Government’s international awards scheme
UKMX2015 dual year with the idea to promote aimed at developing global leaders. Funded by
academic and cultural exchange between UNAM and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO)
British higher education institutions. and partner organisations, Chevening offers a
unique opportunity for future leaders
For further information: and influencers from all over the world to
http://www.unitedkingdom.unam.mx/index.php?Lang develop professionally and academically,
uage=2 network extensively, experience UK culture, and
build lasting positive relationships with the UK.
Contact: Prof. Ana Elena González-Treviño Chevening Scholarships enable international
Centre for Mexican Studies, UNAM-UK students to pursue a fully funded one-year
Director master’s at any UK university. Some of the main
anaelenaglez@kcl.ac.uk subjects prioritised by the British government
are:
UK sources of funding Prosperity
Human Rights
Newton Fund. This initiative of the British government, Security and Justice
through strategic partnerships, promotes collaboration Energy, climate change and sustainable
in science and innovation by creating connections development,
between the government, academia, companies and International relations with a focus on the
NGOs, within its partner countries. The Newton Fund’s Pacific Alliance.
vision is to promote economic development and social
welfare in its partner countries – Brazil, Chile, China, The scheme subsidises visa and tuition fees, a
Colombia, Egypt, Philippines, India, Indonesia, Jordan, monthly stipend, travel costs to and from the UK,
Kazakhstan, Kenya, Malaysia, Mexico, Peru, South and an arrival and homeward departure
Africa, Thailand, Turkey, Vietnam-through innovation allowance.
and science, as part of its Official Development In Mexico, during 2017, more than 1,500
Assistance (ODA) funding. applications were received for the 2018-2019
cycle. For further information:
Key areas for collaboration in Mexico are: Future cities, https://www.chevening.org/scholars
Agri-tech, Social innovation, Health/nutrition and
Energy. Skills for Prosperity Programme. The UK
Government, as part of HMG’s Prosperity Fund,
Pillars of action: is investing in a Global Skills programme to
People: to improve scientific and innovation skills support nine-middle income countries to tackle
through the development of students and researchers’ skills gaps, which are holding back growth and
capacities and mobility schemes. These programmes prosperity. The Skills for Prosperity Fund will lookMexico Delegation Report 2019
to improve the affordability, quality, relevance and government organisations, policy makers,
equity of Higher Education (HE) and Technical and data analysts and cultural producers
Vocational Education and Training (TVET) in partner Strengthening capacity for research and
countries around the world. Taking a partnership innovation within both the UK and
approach and drawing on UK expertise, the developing countries
programme will promote sustainable and inclusive Providing an agile response to emergencies
growth and poverty reduction through education and where there is an urgent research need.
skills initiatives. The programme is expected to work in
Malaysia, Philippines, Indonesia, Egypt, Nigeria, Kenya, GCRF forms part of the UK’s Official
South Africa, Brazil and Mexico, and in partnership with Development Assistance (ODA) commitment,
the governments in those countries. The estimated which is monitored by the Organization for
value of the programme is £75m. Economic Cooperation and Development
(OECD). GCRF supports collaborative projects
Interventions will support the four overarching with international partners and bids must
outcomes for the programme: include partners in developing countries. The
GCRF delivery partners are: UK Research and
Improved quality of learning outcomes from Innovation, Scottish Funding Council, Higher
TVET and HE provision in the public and Education Funding Council for Wales, Higher
private sectors. Education Division Northern Ireland, Academy of
Improved public/private sector partnerships Medical Sciences, Royal Society, British
in the development, management delivery and Academy, Royal Academy of Engineering and UK
assessment of skills development, TVET and Space Agency. A third of the projects funded in
HE the first round were in partnership with Mexican
Improved affordability of TVET and HE institutions.
provision & a conducive environment for Further information:
resourcing in areas key to national economic https://www.ukri.org/research/global-
development challenges-research-fund/
Improved equity in access to the provision of
TVET and HE in the public and private sectors National Academies. The Royal Society and
and improved progression to employment for other national academies have several
marginalised groups. international schemes to support research
mobility to and from the UK which would be open
In the case of Mexico recent opportunities were to support collaboration with Mexico. For the
identified to develop projects focusing on the following Royal Society these include International
areas: Collaboration Awards, Newton International
Fellowships, International Exchanges and
Skills development (including through technical Wolfson Fellowships.
assistance) Details of these schemes can be found at:
Education-industry partnerships https://royalsociety.org/grants-schemes-
Labour Market Intelligence awards/grants/
4th Industrial Revolution
Information, Advice and Guidance for under- The British Academy also has a range of
employed youth schemes open to researchers from outside the
English Language for technicians UK, including Global Professorship Awards and
Newton International Fellowships.
STEM outreach
Details can be found here:
Global Challenges Research Fund. The Global https://www.thebritishacademy.ac.uk/funding-
Challenges Research Fund (GCRF) is a £1.5 billion opportunities
fund announced by the UK Government in 2015 to
support cutting-edge research that addresses the Erasmus+. Erasmus+ is the EU's programme to
challenges faced by developing ODA-designated support education, training, youth and sport in
countries (including Mexico) through: Europe. Its budget of €14.7 billion will provide
opportunities for over 4 million Europeans to
Challenge-led disciplinary and interdisciplinary study, train, gain experience, and volunteer
research, bringing social sciences, sciences and abroad. Erasmus+ offers a variety of
arts and humanities into conversation with each possibilities to collaborate with institutions
other and with individuals, communities, NGOs, outside the EU, like the International CreditMexico Delegation Report 2019 Mobility initiative. This funding stream has enabled students, doctoral candidates and staff from UK Institutions to study or train abroad at institutions in Erasmus+ partner countries. Mexico is a partner country. Further information: http://ec.europa.eu/programmes/erasmus- plus/node_en UK-Mexico chair initiative. An innovative initiative bringing together twelve UK and twelve Mexican universities aimed at fostering academic mobility between the two countries. Initially proposed by the Mexican Agency for International Development Cooperation (AMEXCID), the Mexico-UK Visiting Chair Initiative sees senior figures from prestigious UK and Mexican universities spend up to two weeks each year working collaboratively to explore new and exciting links in research and teaching. A letter of intent to establish the Visiting Chair was signed during March 2015 in London, witnessed by the President of Mexico Enrique Peña Nieto. British Academy Global Professorships scheme This programme provides mid-career to senior scholars - active in any discipline within the social sciences and the humanities and based in any country overseas - with the opportunity to relocate for a period of four years to the UK and make a contribution to UK research and higher education. Further information: https://www.thebritishacademy.ac.uk/programmes/g lobal-professorships British Council. Higher Education Alliances 2019 Higher Education Alliances supports the articulation of global networks and the diversification of internationalization schemes. This programme provides access to international expertise that will allow the development of a comprehensive internationalization strategy for Higher Education Institutions to promote partnerships for long term collaboration. Deadline to submit application, July 14 2019. Further information: https://www.britishcouncil.org.mx/en/events/higher- education-alliances-call-applications-2019
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